When a serious fracture of the ankle occurs, it is common for the syndesmosis ligaments that extend between the fibula and the tibia to be disrupted. In such cases, it is common practice to fix the fibula to the tibia to enable the syndesmosis ligaments to heal. Because the fibula and the tibia move relative to each other during walking and running, the fibula and tibia are typically fixed using a high-strength suture. The suture stabilizes the ankle without preventing the natural relative movement of the bones.
Although the above-described fixation scheme is effective, there are several drawbacks with the current procedures used to achieve that fixation. With current technology, incisions must be made on both sides of the ankle and holes must be drilled entirely through both the fibula and the tibia. In addition, the suture must be manually held under tension while it is manually tied off to complete the fixation. This process often results in unwanted slack being formed in the suture, which reduces the degree of fixation that can be achieved. Furthermore, multiple knots may be required to tie off the suture, and those knots often can be felt and/or seen through the patient's skin.
In view of the above drawbacks, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have an alternative system and method for ankle syndesmosis fixation.